Cleaning apparatus

ABSTRACT

The apparatus has a head and handle assembly; a mop pad and height adjusting scrubbing brushes to engage or disengage scrubbing brushes located in a periphery of the mop pad.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

NA

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

NA.

MICROFICHE

NA

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of floor cleaning device, andmore particularly the invention relates to a device with combinedscrubbing and mopping functions in the same head section.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Floor cleaning mops are commonly used in variety of sectors for cleaningpurposes and maintaining the cleanliness and hygiene in a particulararea; wherein a typical mob used for such function generally comprisesof a handle connected to a handle head. A connector incorporated in thehandle head functions to selectively connect a mop head assembly to themop handle. A floor mop as described is typically used in commercial orindustrial cleaning operations. As such, the mop head assemblies aresubject to heavy and often continuous use. Once full of dirt and nolonger particularly effective for cleaning, the mop head assemblies aredetached from the handle heads and are laundered. The head assembliesare then dried before the next use.

The users of the floor mops also typically encounter areas on floorsthat require scrubbing. Instead of putting the mop aside and scrubbingthe area with a separate scrubber, the user often attempts to scrub thefloor area with the headband of the mop head assembly. Such scrubbingaction is not only inefficient but also may tear the headband and maycontribute to the rapid deterioration of the headband and mop yarns.Another factor that leads to the deterioration of headbands is theeffects of the chemical cleansers on the headband material.

Accordingly, various prior arts try to put front an effective solutionfor the same, which are herein incorporated by reference for theirsupportive teachings, and include the following:

U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,003 A that discloses a cleaning brush is comprisedof a shaft having a crank arm and a handle thereon. A rod is remove-ablyor fixedly secured to the bottom of the shaft. A plurality of outwardlyprojecting bristles is disposed along the length of the rod. A scrubbrush is remove-ably secured to the bottom of the rod.

Another prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 7,124,464 B2 discloses a method ofproviding a mop with surface scrubbing capability, that includesproviding a surface scrubbing attachment device, and attaching thedevice to the mop for scrubbing presentation to the surface.

Yet another prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 7,636,979 B1 relates to a butterflymop having a metal mop head which is provided with a cleaning implementsuch as a scrubber pad or scrub brush to thereby enable the mop to beused to perform the dual function of washing a floor with a mop in thenormal manner, and alternatively to remove soil resistant to removalthrough washing by applying a scrub brush surface or an abrasive surfaceto the floor or wall being cleaned.

Some other prior arts discloses various mop head assemblies to performthe multiple functions like wise prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,451 A,which discloses a headband for a mop head assembly that includes fourscrubbing surfaces that allow a user to scrub a surface with theheadband. The scrubbing surfaces include a plurality of interstices andscrubbing sections that are formed by coating a knitted polyester basematerial with an adhesive and abrasive coating. The coating providesstrength, durability, and abrasiveness to the base material. In additionto the ability to scrub, the headband allows the yarn beneath theheadband to dry thus preventing mildew.

Another prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 7,328,477 B1 discloses a dual modecontour following mop. Further it discloses a scrubbing implement forcleaning a surface with contours. The scrubbing implement includes aresilient base that includes a plurality of resilient fingers, each ofwhich extend radially away from center of the base. A rigid capcomprises an inside upper end and a wider open lower end. The cappreferably includes a handle receiving means pivotally fixed to the capfor receiving a threaded end of an elongated handle. A flexible pad isincluded that comprises a cleaning surface on a lower side thereof. Thepad has a peripheral lip forming an aperture in the pad for receivingthe distal ends of each finger of the base. The flexible pad is fixedaround the distal ends of the fingers such that the pad may be appliedto the surface to scrub the surface.

Yet another prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,218 A discloses an acutelycurved S-shaped plate is clamped to the cross bar of a yacht mop and hasa synthetic fiber pad extending from the clamp around the lower curvedportion to be engaged through a slot in the plate so that it is clampedbetween the plate and the body of the pad. It can be used for scrubbingaction on areas that cannot be cleaned by the yacht mop alone.

According to prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,340 A discloses a holder forrelease-ably clamping a mop head to a mop handle that includes anelongate clamping member which is hinged at one end and snap fits at theother. The clamping member extends about a mop strand bundle wherein theclamping member has a brush or scrub pad fitted to its underside forscrubbing.

Further prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 7,895,697 B2 discloses a scrubbing,dust mopping, or a sweeping apparatus and in particular to scrub brushesor applications where material is being removed by an apparatus. Thepresent invention relates to a swivel joint two-piece unitary flexiblemolded elastomer attachment that allows multiple cleaning apparatuses tobe attached and detached for cleaning purposes.

Also, a prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 7,264,413 B2 discloses a mop able to beused in different modes and in its preferred embodiment; the cleaningmembers are release-ably secured to the mop and may be capable ofcompression, wherein the different cleaning members enable the mop tooperate in a plurality of different modes, including a wringing mopmode, a damp mop mode and a dust mop mode. In addition to this, aportion of the handle of the mop is adapted to hold and release a fluid,such as a cleaning solution wherein; the user may cause release of thefluid through one or more openings associated with the mop.

Accordingly, in view of these incorporated references, the presentinvention relates generally to floor cleaning tools that also includes ascrubber combination mop assembly, which provides various modes ofoperation to perform the two basic desired functions in one headsection.

There are available various conventional floor-cleaning tools that donot provide the novel improvements of the invention herein disclosed.

SUMMARY

In view of the foregoing applications inherent in the known types offloor cleaning apparatus present in the prior art, the present inventionprovides an improved cleaning and scrubbing apparatus wherein the deviceis provided with unique kind of an assembly with various in builtcomponents to be used as a wet mop, a dry mop, with brushes andscrubbing pad to provide a good cleaning experience. As such, thegeneral purpose of the present invention, which will be describedsubsequently in greater detail, is to provide an improved floor cleaningapparatus that has all the advantages of the prior art and none of thedisadvantages.

An embodiment of the present invention there may be a cleaningapparatus, comprising: a handle assembly, having a first and second end,to enable a user to hold the cleaning apparatus; and a cleaning head,having a top and bottom side, wherein the top side is coupled to one endof the handle assembly, and further comprising: a mop pad, for absorbingliquid, is coupled to the bottom side of the cleaning head, and having acleaning surface; a scrubbing bristle section, positioned at least on aportion of a periphery of the mop pad, having a plurality of cleaningtips at one end of the scrubbing bristle section; and a heightadjustment mechanism, coupled to the scrubbing bristle section and thecleaning head, and having a first position that orients the plurality ofcleaning tips lower than the mop pad cleaning surface, to inhibit themop pad from contacting a surface, and a second position that orientsthe plurality of cleaning tips to be at least level with the mop padcleaning surface to not inhibit the mop pad from contacting the surface.

In another embodiment there may be a cleaning apparatus that, furthercomprising: at least one spraying nozzle, coupled to the cleaning head;a liquid containing device, coupled to the cleaning apparatus, forholding cleaning solution; and a trigger mechanism to activate thespraying of the cleaning solution from the nozzle.

In further embodiments, there may be a cleaning apparatus as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the height adjusting mechanism is a screw, upon turningone way or an other the plurality of cleaning of the scrubbing bristleswill lower or raise relative to the cleaning surface of the mop pad.

Numerous embodiments, features and advantages of the present inventionwill be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon areading of the following detailed description of presently preferred,but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention whentaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The invention iscapable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out invarious ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology andterminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions andshould not be regarded as limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To further clarify various aspects of some example embodiments of thepresent invention, a more particular description of the invention willbe rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof that areillustrated in the appended drawing. It is appreciated that the drawingdepicts only illustrated embodiments of the invention and are thereforenot to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will bedescribed and explained with additional specificity and detail throughthe use of the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is bottom view of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The embodiments of the present disclosure described below are notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the preciseforms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, theembodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the artmay appreciate and understand the principles and practices of thepresent disclosure.

The following embodiments and the accompanying drawings, which areincorporated into and form part of this disclosure, illustrateembodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve toexplain the principles of the invention.

With reference to FIG. 1, the presently illustrated invention disclosesa cleaning apparatus 1, wherein the apparatus embodies a holding handle2, to enable a user to hold onto the cleaning apparatus 1. There is atrigger 3, coupled proximate the handle 2, and is connected through oralong a connecting or support rod 4 to a liquid holding bottle 5, whichis also coupled to the connecting rod 4. The support rod 4 is pivotallyattached via a swivel device 6, to a cleaning head 8. The cleaning head8 may include at least one sprayer nozzle 7 that is coupled to theliquid holding bottle 5 via a tube (not shown), whereby upon activationof the trigger 3, liquid is released from the bottle 5 and routed to thenozzles 7 and sprayed onto a floor section desired by the user.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is illustrated a bottom side of cleaning head8. In one embodiment, the invention discloses retractable scrubbingbristles 9, illustrated to circumnavigate the entire periphery of thecleaning head 8. However, it is also contemplated to only incorporatethe bristles 9 in a selected region of the periphery, like the frontside, or just in one or two corners, for example.

In typical operation, the mop pad 10 typically may enable the user inclearing the dirt from the floors using known wiping action.Additionally, the mop section 10 may be made of any known moistureabsorbing material, like sponge, fiber, cotton, cellulose or any otherknown usable absorbing material.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is a cross sectional view of the cleaninghead 8. Uniquely, there is illustrated two embodiments of the operation.In a first operative position, as illustrated on the left side of thefigure, there may be a spring 12 holding a section of the scrubbingbristles 9 in a position that has the tips of the bristles 9 below thebottom surface of the mop pad 10 to prevent the bristles 9 fromcontacting the floor during operation of the cleaning device 1.Conversely, in a second operative position, as illustrated on the rightside of the figure, the spring 12 may be extending the scrubbingbristles 9 in a position that has the tips of the bristles 9 extendingbeyond the bottom surface of the mop pad 10 to enable the bristles 9 tocontact the floor during operation of the cleaning device 1.

As stated in other words, the cleaning tool 1 can also be described ashaving a cleaning head 8, having a top and bottom side, wherein the topside is coupled 6 to one end of the handle assembly 2, 3, 4, 5. Thebottom side has a mop pad 10, for absorbing liquid, and is coupled tothe bottom side of the cleaning head, and having a cleaning surface. Thescrubbing bristle section 9, positioned at least on a portion of aperiphery of the mop pad 10, having a plurality of cleaning tips 15 atone end of the scrubbing bristle section 9. There is also a heightadjustment mechanism 12, 12 a, coupled to the scrubbing bristle section9 and the cleaning head 8, and having an extended position 9 a thatorients the plurality of cleaning tips lower than the mop pad cleaningsurface 11, to inhibit the mop pad from contacting a surface, and aretracted position 9 that orients the plurality of cleaning tips 15 tobe at least level with the mop pad cleaning surface 11 to not inhibitthe mop pad from contacting the surface.

Thereby, by enabling a user to extend or retract the scrubbing bristlesas taught herein, a user is able to have the scrubbing action of astiffer material when dirt or debris needs such force to be removed.Likewise, the moping pad 10 may be protected from extreme wear and tearwhen the more robust cleaning action of the scrubbing bristles 9 areneeded. This has the added benefit of extending the life of the mop pad10. Conversely, when the scrubbing action is not needed, and thebeneficial use of a mop pad 10 is needed, the bristles 9 are not in theway of the washing of a floor.

Obviously, the bristles or brushes 9 are made of a stiffer material, andmay be made of individual metal strands, or straw pieces, or stiffplastic wires that extend perpendicular to the mop pad 10. Additionally,the brushes 9 may extend 6-10 mm or more beyond the face of the mop pad10 during operation thereof. It is also contemplated to have the brushesto retract to a position that is only even or level with the mop pad 10.

Additionally, there is numerous designs for the scrubbing bristles 9.For example, the bristles 9 may be formed into circular type clumps andextend through individual corresponding holes in the housing 8 forsupporting alignment and stiffness.

Yet, it is noted that any known combination of the trigger 3, bottle 5,nozzle 7 parts or operation may be used for the operation commonlyunderstood by those skilled in the art of cleaning tool design.

Moreover, it is noted that most any known mechanical system known thatwill enable the variable positioning of the scrubbing bristles 9 orperform a raising and lowering mechanism operation. For example, asimple screwing mechanism 14 by turning one way to raise and another tolower may move the bristles 9 up and down. There my also be a simpleleverage system that raises and lowers the entire section of thescrubbing bristles 9.

Thus, accordingly in its preferred embodiment, the present inventiondiscloses an improved cleaning apparatus in combined mop and scrubbingassembly with a removable cleaning pads and a trigger sprayer. Theinvention embodies a row of brushes surrounding the scrubbing pad,wherein the brushes would have to be approximately ¾ inch in height andmade of flexible enough material to bend to get into corners; but stiffenough to scrub the stuck on ground in stuff on the floor with more easeand comfort. In addition to this, the brushes would lower with a levertype mechanism that could be operated with the user's foot likewise,when the system is lowered, it scrub corners or flat surfaces like ascrub brush and when raised, the brushes gets retracted so that thescrubbing pad can be used to clean the floor as usually it does.

The present invention present a unique and improved cleaning mop withmultiple functions including a dust mop, regular mop functions, and ascrub brush to reduce the cost and pain associated while using differentdevices to clean the floor. The dust mop and scrubbing pad provided inthe present invention are machine washable and reusable; and areavailable in different sized to fit into any kind of mop assembly.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the artthat any arrangement, which is calculated to achieve the same purpose,may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown. This applicationis intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the presentinvention.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferredembodiment, it is to be understood that many other possiblemodifications and variations can be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention.

What is desired to be claimed in Letters Patent is:
 1. A cleaningapparatus, comprising: (a) a handle assembly, having a first and secondend, to enable a user to hold the cleaning apparatus; and (b) a cleaninghead, having a top and bottom side, wherein the top side is coupled toone end of the handle assembly, and further comprising: i) a mop pad,for absorbing liquid, is coupled to the bottom side of the cleaninghead, and having a cleaning surface; ii) a scrubbing bristle section,positioned at least on a portion of a periphery of the mop pad, having aplurality of cleaning tips at one end of the scrubbing bristle section;and iii) a height adjustment mechanism, coupled to the scrubbing bristlesection and the cleaning head, and having a first position that orientsthe plurality of cleaning tips lower than the mop pad cleaning surface,to inhibit the mop pad from contacting a surface, and a second positionthat orients the plurality of cleaning tips to be at least level withthe mop pad cleaning surface to not inhibit the mop pad from contactingthe surface.
 2. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, furthercomprising: a) at least one spraying nozzle, coupled to the cleaninghead; b) a liquid containing device, coupled to the cleaning apparatus,for holding cleaning solution; and c) a trigger mechanism to activatethe spraying of the cleaning solution from the nozzle.
 3. The cleaningapparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the height adjusting mechanismis a screw, upon turning one way or an other the plurality of cleaningof the scrubbing bristles will lower or raise relative to the cleaningsurface of the mop pad.